Dragon's Blood
by YuriShi
Summary: Fem!Merlin.  When the whole of the Round Table minus Gaius and plus Morgana are taken by strange sorcerers Merlin has to risk a different sort of Fire to save them all.  In the end Morgana gets it. And there be dragons.
1. Fire

I do not own- this is a screwed up timeline in which Aithusa is alive, as in Uther, but Uther is still a bit crazy. Also Merlin in a girl in this, and it is from her point of view. Also, I'm making the Dragon Language into Welsh, not that there's much of that in this ficlet- just two words that I got off of Google Translate.

btw: }...{ Merlin to Aithusa and }*...*{ Aithusa to Merlin sadly no Mind-Speak between Merlin and Kilgharrah.

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><p>It had been a typical day, we- that is, the Round Table- had finally managed to get away from court life long enough to go hunting- or rather spend time together as friends instead of a court under the pretense of hunting. It really was just par the course that we would be ambushed while we were sleeping and thusly captured and taken to their cave-fortress. It was also just our luck that these sorcerers also captured Morgana. So it was a good bet that they weren't working together, but really, one never knows.<p>

"Now, now, little prince, don't make things too hard fer ye and yers. I'll give ye a chance ta escape. All, ye have ta do is get tha key ta yer chains, and fight yer way out. Tha chains canno' be broken, only unlocked. If ye leave 'ere in yer chains it'll be a long, painful death, tha' it will. " the leader smiles unpleasantly at all of us as Arthur struggles, "I'll even show ye tha key." He holds up a golden key, and my heart starts to pound- he wouldn't, would he? "Oops." The man drops the golden key into a golden bowl filled with a red liquid and firmly attached to a pillar made of a natural stalagmite. My mouth suddenly is very, very dry. The man laughs and walks away. Gwaine scoffs and walks up to the bowl.

"That's a horrible plan. I mean really, all we have to do is fish a key out of a bowl. How hard is that?"

"Gwaine, no!" I yelp, grabbing the back of his tunic just as the tips of his fingers graze the liquid. The others stare at me in shock- not knowing why I'm not letting Gwaine get our key to freedom- pardon the pun- and all start to demand why. Gwaine is the only one not staring at me- he's staring at his fingers in shock instead.

"Merlin? Why are my fingers burning?" He asks quietly. I swallow. That foolish man had done what I prayed he hadn't.

"Because what's in that bowl is Dragon's Blood. Its toxic to all who touch it and aren't Dragon or Dragon Kin." My voice is just as quiet but travels in the silence that follows Gwaine's question. "Your hand would have been down to just bone before you reached to key- possibly even gone by the time you removed it." And suddenly everyone is thankful I stopped him.

"Well, Morgana can get it then right? She just needs to use a spell to protect herself..." Arthur looks none too happy at being the one to suggest this. I shake my head before she can even step forward.

"Why exactly do you think Dragonlords are so feared Arthur?" I ask not really looking for an answer, "They are the only ones that can in any form charm a dragon. The chains that were used on the Great Dragon were made for mad dragons that had to be locked up until they could be killed." I explain, thankful that no one is questioning how I know all this. "No magic will work on the blood. It is even toxic to Dragons and Dragon Kin, just not to the extent it is on others." I don't mention that the Blood could kill- they already realize that it was dangerous.

"Well, what if we use something to fish the key out?" Gwen suggests looking squeamish.

"Sure, if you have a long enough piece of Gold." I respond sarcastically. They all look confused (and Gwen looks hurt- but I couldn't think of that right now). "Gold is the only thing besides other Dragon's Blood that won't be destroyed by the Blood." Everyone starts to throw out ideas on how to get the key, but I'm too busy to pay attention to them.

}I'm so very sorry Bach. You know that I would never want to hurt you{ I send down the link I share with Aithusa, before starting to throw up every kind of block on that link I can. Kilgharrah can take it, and I know he would want me to put my all into protecting Aithusa. I feel Kilgharrah add his own. No doubt the old drake can sense what I am going to do. I steel myself- though it would be of no help really- and then, I plunge my hand into my kin's blood.

Fire. Fire races up my arm scorching it from the inside out. Lord and Lady it burns. Gods I just want to pull away from the awful Fire, but no. I can't. There! I feel something cold among all this heat. I have to grab it. Who is making all that noise? Can't they tell that I'm trying to concentrate? And suddenly I'm on the ground, but the Fire is still there. No. I have to...

What do I have to do again? Oh, right. Fire. I need to clean the key. Fire. Have to use my other hand for that. Fire.

Leon get out of my face. Fire. I'm busy, can't you see? Oh, wait. That's your 'I'm concerned and I don't know what to do' face. Fire. Why are you wearing it? I know what I'm doing. Fire. I just got to- Fire- wipe my hand every so often as I clean this key. Fire. Look Leon, it's clean now and we can use it. Fire.

Why are you all so worried? Fire. By the Lord, Lady, Gods, and all the Spirits I hurt. "Oh I'm so so so very sorry Bach. Please forgive me." The Fire is starting to move through my body. I can feel it. Its racing and moving so very slow.

Percival? Why are you carrying me? You'll get the Fire on you. Put me back on the cold/stone. Oh, I am. No! I wanna be on coldhardstonefloor. Fire around me- its coming from the men. Oh, it's not-Fire. It doesn't hurt. Gwen? Why do they get Fire that isn't? Why can't I have that Fire? I hurt all over.

Huh? Something loud-big-strong-fire-wise-mysterious-kin is down that hall. I need to get to . He hurts. He feels the Fire only not as hot as I do. But we're the same aren't we? What? Who moaned? Oh. I did...

Kilgharrah/ loud-big-strong-fire-wise-mysterious-kin! Fire out your mouth and not-Fire on your claws. It's bright you know. My/arms around your/my muzzle. Fire is burning us-me. It's all over us-me and inside us-me and its _burning_ and We-I don't like it and my-our Hatchling is hurting but less because winged us left my-our Bach with Anhora and his Unicorns and they'll do what they can to help him not Hurt-Burn.

Movement. Strength- who is all dark like good ale- tries to come forward. We-I raise a wing telling him not to come near. Oh. So many are around. Dark Strength. Golden Courage. Grey Sight. Red Honor. Silver Loyalty. Purple Caring. Blue Steadfast. Green Adventure.

"Courage." the two-legged us calls out for him. Most look confused but not my-our dear Strength and beloved Courage. Courage comes closer. Oh. He's speaking now. What's he saying?

"-look at your arm?" No! Dear sweat arrogant beloved Courage can't touch Fire! But he's Golden so he should be able to, right? Oh the Fire is everywhere and still moving searching for where it isn't. We-I can only look at Courage confused and helpless. Sight apparently understands- or maybe she Sees. We-I don't know nor can We-I muster the strength to ask. We-I vaguely register the words.

"Arthur, you can't touch her arm yet. Someone get enough gold to cover where the Blood touched. Well? Get to it!" Oh dear. Sight is being rude. That's Courage's job silly girl. We-I stare at the moving lights and try to block out the Pain-Heat, but really it's all just Fire Pain-Heat and Burn-Hurt. The Fire is moving towards my-our skin. That's bad but We-I can't recall why...

Oh, that helps. The Fire is curious about this new thing that doesn't Burn-Hurt. We-I can sort of think clearly. We-I rasp out the names of the flowers and herbs that are needed. Sweat Purple Caring knows exactly what they are and quickly gathers them for me-us. Courage moves to crush them into the paste-liquid they need to be. Fire in the back of my-our skull but everything is sharply in focus suddenly. We-I grab his wrist. "No. You can't." Oh, he's confused now.

"But, Merlin, you need this." Why doesn't he _understand_? We-I look around and no one does. We-I lock eyes with Sight- and We-I can _see_ the moment when she gets it. Sight can finally See. That that Bitch was using her and We-I didn't have a choice and That Boy is the result of horrorangerragepainhatred and can't be trusted and We-I are so so sorry and We-I wish that things had been different but We-I are not the Lord and Lady and We-I don't know everything. But she _gets it_ which is more than We-I can say for everyone else and then she's there gently taking the mixture from Courage and she's crying and laughing and she's sorry too and she forgives us and its all flowing into her magic that's going into the medicine.

Coolness down my-our throat and then there's my Magic gently but forcefully reminding Fire that it shouldn't hurt Kin and that that's what it's doing. Fire subsides and then instead of Hot-Burning-Pain-Hurting there's Warm-Healing-Sorrow and my Magic is forgiving Fire and helping it settle in me because that's what it has to do. And I realize that there is blood- not Blood though- on the bottom of my pants.

}Bach, are you alright?{ because I _need _to know.

}*Yes, mam. Just a little dazed and sore.*{ I rewrap my arms around Kilgharrah's muzzle.

"Oh thank the Lord, Lady, Gods, Spirits and Stars." I whisper knowing that I'm just confusing everyone else but Morgana- but now that she Sees, she isn't going to get confused very often. I decide that now is a good time to pass out.


	2. Bach

So, I wasn't actually going to write more for this story, but then I had finals again- which means that an alternate title is "My Brain On Finals". Don't ask. Also (as I can't just respond to TC as TC doesn't have an account) I'm using } { instead of italics as I've had problems with ffnet and italics in the past. I'll make } { mind-speak in general, as that will be easier (just not in the original- I'm too lazy)

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><p>I had been playing with Tad-cu and Mr. Anhora and the Pearly Ones when Mam called to me.<p>

}I'm so very sorry Bach. You know that I would never want to hurt you{ I blink at that, unsure what Mam means. I try to ask her but she isn't letting me in. Just earlier she was telling me about the boring trip Tad-not-father had dragged her on. I was so focused on trying to talk to Mam that I missed Tad-cu telling something to Mr. Anhora and then leaving.

It starts in my tail.

There's this itch that is working its way all over my small body- Tad-cu says one day I'll be as big as him, but I can't see it. The itch is so very distracting. I can't talk to Tad-cu either. What's going on? Why did you both leave me?

The itch intensifies so that now it kind of hurts. I whimper and curl up next to the Pearly One called Full-of-Determination (Mam and Mr. Anhora pronounced it Etana). She nuzzled me giving me comfort.

I blink. The sun's in a different position now- but not by much. I don't hurt any more.

Now I feel Mam and Tad-cu again.

}Bach, are you alright?{ Mam asks. I blink again. Mam knows what that was?

}Yes, Mam. Just a little dazed and sore.{ I feel Mam's relief at that, then I don't feel her- not really at least. Kind of like when she goes to sleep.

Suddenly there's someone else in my mind. This mind is Grey- not the Blue-Gold of Mam or the Red-Gold of Tad-cu.

}Hello Bach.{ Grey has a melodious voice.

}Um, who are you miss?{

}I'm your Auntie.{

}Modryb, are you Mam's sister or Tad-not-father's?{ Modryb gave a laugh at that.

}I'm Arthur's sister.{

}Oh.{ It made sense I guess.

}Don't worry. Merlin's just passed out, and the Great Dragon is resting.{ I feel the ghost of her lips on the top of my head, and I send her a good night because I need sleep now. I get the feeling that soon I'll have more family. Mostly Ewythr. I'll have to chose some to call Modryb...


End file.
